So You Want to Be a Gangster

So You Want to Be a Gangster Lyrics

[Verse 1]
So you want to be a gangster, all that shit
Smoke any motherfucker, don't even trip
You be hard as hell, take whatever you wantPunk suckers wanna front, they get done
'Cause you a gangster—nothin' more, nothin' less
Put my boy to the test and catch one in your chest
Since he was young, homeboy won't back down'Cause real gangsters always hold that frown
Until you lose control, then you sell your soul
To the devil, motherfucker, 'cause you're way too cold
And all the people hide and just run inside
'Cause you keep usin' yo' gat, committin' homicideBoy, I tell ya, life is way too short
Another brother just got smoked
And you killed him—ain't that a bitch?
'Cause it really ain't shit

About “So You Want to Be a Gangster”

In this gem off Too Short’s 1992 album Shorty the Pimp, “So You Want to Be a Gangster” tells about the darkside of the gang life, as well as a “bad things lead to worse things” kind of story as well. Compared to many other Too Short songs, “So You Want to Be a Gangster” has a very dark and serious tone, and is a good example of some of the more social commentary songs Too Short released in the early 90s.

The song is featured in Grand Theft Auto V on the radio station West Coast Classics.